I Don't Think We Get It!

[Chris Green]

Why is this the least active of the ministry forums.

THIS is the front line of ministry and evangelism. Work is where the unsaved are ... in their millions !!

You haven't got to put on a special show, they are all there...

(rant over)

 

[LovesTruth]

Many of the so-called "christians" here are unsaved. They claim to believe the creeds, but do they really?

Bottom line: Maybe they don't have anything to witness about! Remember our Lord said to the false Christians, "Depart from Me. I never knew you."

Jesus says, "Except a person is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Amen!

 

[LovesTruth]

I knew a former moderator here who claimed to a Christian but was disobeying God's Word by having sexual relations outside of marriage. She thought it was okay despite the Bible. I don't consider her a Christian at all.

I hear there are other so-called "christians" serving as moderators who actually believe that homosexual sex is not sinful and offensive to God. If you have moderators like that, what kind of people do you expect to see here? Like attracts like, except for a few of us.

I am born again. I live by the Bible. I keep my life and words and thoughts clean and honest before God. And I know that not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" is one of us in the Kingdom of God.

 

[Chris Green]

ok guys

so what are you basing this on? how do you know many aren't 'saved' ?

 

[LovesTruth]

ok guys

so what are you basing this on? how do you know many aren't 'saved' ?

By their fruits ye shall know them.

When a so-called believer in Christ willingly lives in disobedience to God, I question that person's relationship to God.

And when a person who claims to believe the creeds to join this board says that he isn't a sinner, or that he doesn't deserve to go hell, or that people can be saved by other religions, or that Jesus is not God... I question his salvation. After all, faith in faith doesn't save; faith in Truth saves.

 

[brachah]

bcz traditionally business n workplace is an ignored area by ministry or believers themselves. now workplace ministry is becoming challenging, n may G-d thrive it, as we do feel the urgent call already across the land.

 

[brachah]

i feel a great pity there are not many people here as i hope.

 

[Chris Green]

i feel a great pity there are not many people here as i hope.

There should be. There are way more people out there in business ministry than there are in traditional ministry...

 

[rookiemum]

I've found the workplace is the worst place and the best place to evangelize.

Its the worst place because:
I have work to do.
It is hard to find common ground to open up a dialogue with my co-workers.
I can get in trouble for proselytizing (yet its okay for everyone to sit around and gossip-no rules about THAT).
I'm not perfect and I mess up.

Its the BEST place because:
My attitude and actions can be a great witness for Christ.
I am surrounded by nonbelievers.
When they bring it up, its okay for me to talk about Christ.
I pray for my co-workers.

 

[brachah]

yes, we dont feel that the business ministry exists bcz we still think what we r doing in biz is secular. haha

 

[brachah]

very true. its clever to find these good things n bad things. put them in a list n G-d wl start fm there.

 

[LovesTruth]

I don't witness on the job, but I do mention glimpses into my character and faith as they affect my work. That is natural and part of my work. I may say in discussing honesty in our reports that the Bible says I should be honest with everyone. But that is not really winning people to Christ... so the real witnessing happens after work or over lunch.

Take a friend to lunch. Do things with them after work. That will be respected and accepted because of your integrity at work.

I work with a nice mentor who has trouble relating to people. I invest the time to be his pal, and we go for frequent midday health walks. (I do not bill the client for this time.) During the walks we never discuss business and I am free to share whatever I wish. We often discuss sci-fi and ethics and many other topics. I may or may not share Christ with him, but I have his friendship and respect. If the Holy Spirit says the time is right, I will.

 

[brachah]

i agree it depends on the individual situation.

 

[longboneslinger]

Work is a great place to talk about God. I preface this with my being new. I was only saved a month ago, so so bear that in mind. I was known as a clown but equally known for having a short fuse and a foul mouth. After accepting Jesus, I'm still a clown but my fuse gets longer every day and I have pretty much stopped cussing. I still slip but I ask for forgiveness keep on going.
My co-workers couldn't help but notice. Trust me, it's a profound shift. When they ask me how I did it, I just say "I didn't. God did. I'm just a sinner who found the light and gives all the glory to God." I even started Witnessing (notice the upper case). A co-worker came to me about how work and life was stressing him out. I opened my mouth for some truly wise stuff and started Witnessing. The upper case is my way of saying God was using me. God made his eyes get big several times. He asked me how I knew to say some of the things I said. I replied "I didn't. God did. He knew you before you knew you. He has plans for you. That's why he is moving me to speak to you. I don't know jack, He knows everything." We speak now several times a week about God and faith. Who knows, maybe He will lead him to salvation. If I can help in the smallest way I am humbled. Don't get me wrong, I don't want any credit. Like I said I'm just a sinner doing the best he can and giving the Glory to God. I pray for him daily that he'll find the joy I've found just as I pray that I can be a better servant to Christ.
Just though I'd share that. Like I said, I'm new but God I love God. I went from contemplating suicide on a daily basis to loving life. From tears of frustration to tears of joy. The only thing that amazes me more is that it keeps getting better! Woohoo!!

 

[ThinkOnIt]

Whether in the work place or not, we influence others around us. If we have told people we're a Christian they are watching us all the more. Assess your own life against God's commands. How well do you live up to "Love God with all your heart, all your mind, all your body, and all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself"? You we concentrate living that out, we won't have to worry about the witness we are offering to others around. Allowing God to live through us is witness enough. Stop judging others and start living it yourself.

 

[Live4HimAndLoveOthers]

American Christians are, in large part, too busy worrying about getting healed or becoming prosperous to focus on evangelism. I have seen first-hand, and have heard from fellow Christians who are zealous to go witnessing on the streets, that it is hard to get many Christians involved in active evangelism. American Christians are generally too self-centered. Plus, a lot of them are too biblically-illiterate to have the confidence to witness to others. They say, "Oh, that's not my gift." Yet, although I do think that the Bible mentions a gift of evangelism, it is also true that The Great Commission is a commandment, not an option. Too many Christians want to just hang around other Christians, where they feel 'safe,' instead of stepping out among unbelievers and be a light in a dark place.

I'm often not much better. I am usually not nearly the witness at work that I should be. I need to pray for boldness myself, as well as pray that God would help my actions to back up whatever I may say, so that I will 'walk the talk.'

 

[restore]

Stop judging others and start living it yourself.

 

[Live4HimAndLoveOthers]

Pointing out problem areas in the Church is not judging others. After all, the Bible says we shall judge angels.

And, I have been 'living it myself' more than ever during the past 2 years, by witnessing at the mall, inside and outside the movie theater, JW Convention, outside college football games, local Festivals, door-to-door, placing gospel tracts on cars in parking lots, placing tracts in stores, etc.

Plus, the purpose of my previous post was to answer the original question in this thread:

Why is this the least active of the ministry forums.

 

[2writeabout]

I am presently working on a book for Christian parents talking to their kids about careers and work. One thing I am coming across in some Christian writing is the notion that 'work' is a means to an ends ie to 'witness'. This is a flawed view of work that also buys into a false dichotomy - that there is spiritual work and there is secular work. If we subscribe to the latter view we will always have a sense of being 'less than' others in 'fulltime Christian' work. It is also a view that was upturned by the Reformation where Luther and later others, argued that there is no distinction of value in the eyes of God between those in church work and those in work other than church work.

There is also a theme in some Christian writing on work that talks about 'using our work to witness' Again, this is a flawed view of 'why we work'. From Genesis onwards we see a theme of being coworkers with God in the world. Work serves the purpose of providing for our physical needs, it is a response to God's command to subdue the earth, and it is also the place where we live our relationship with God with all our flaws and imperfections. As many have already noted, as they seek to live and worship God through their daily actions in the place of work others are able to see just what living with a gracious Father can actually look, sound and feel like. It is not the same thing as being direct - as some can do well but most of us don't.

I cringe when I read some writers talking about their workplace being a 'mission field' first and foremost. It demeans their work and it buys into the false understanding that God's purpose for our work is that we evangelise. After all Jesus was a carpenter for 30 years befoer his ministry went public. Does that mean the first 30 years of his life, or the 15 years or so of his working life are of 'less value'? Worth considering.

 

[Live4HimAndLoveOthers]

One thing I am coming across in some Christian writing is the notion that 'work' is a means to an ends ie to 'witness'. This is a flawed view of work that also buys into a false dichotomy - that there is spiritual work and there is secular work. If we subscribe to the latter view we will always have a sense of being 'less than' others in 'fulltime Christian' work.

I agree to the point that 'Full-time Christian work' should not be more 'spiritual' than secular work; you can serve God as a janitor, just as you can serve God as a missionary.

However, the reason I believe that, is because I think that a Christian should be evangelizing as a lifestyle. In other words, anytime a Christian is around non-Christians, that should be considered a mission field. I'm not saying that we should neglect our duties at work to where we are talking about Jesus instead of working, because that would be a bad testimony. But wherever we are, being a witness for Jesus should be a natural result of our being saved. And that witness should not be only verbally or only by our actions: it should be reflected in all aspects of our lives: verbally, by our actions, in our writings, in our art, etc. Again, that is not to say that we are not to do anything that is considered 'secular,' but telling others about Jesus should be something that is a natural habit, and should come forth naturally and spontaneously out of a heart that loves Jesus.